


ode about some guy i met at the club

by apollothyme



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Clubbing, Drinking, First Time, Flirting, Heavy Making Out At The Club, M/M, stranger danger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:48:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24557179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apollothyme/pseuds/apollothyme
Summary: "You are a menace to society. Has anyone ever told you that?" Sanji yelled once his head was more than ten inches away from the ground and his feet were on solid footing again.Ace blinked up at him before he burst into laughter. "My brother told me that literally just this morning. Have you two met?"Sanji shook his head. "If he’s as mad as you, definitely not. I don't think I've ever met anyone like you before," he confessed, surprising himself with his own honesty.
Relationships: Portgas D. Ace/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 44
Kudos: 176





	1. let's fall in love for the night

It had been Sanji’s idea to go clubbing that Saturday.

It rather pained him to admit this, as he would much prefer to blame Usopp for their latest misadventure. Alas, his cruel fate was entirely of his own making. Usopp didn’t even _like_ clubbing, which – yes – did remove further validity from Sanji’s claims.

In his honest defence, he’d had a long week at the restaurant and he needed some alcohol or a massage to relax. He had almost gone the second option, but then mid-afternoon he got a message from an old hook up complaining that no one had seen Sanji in the clubbing scene lately.

Sanji hadn’t replied, not at all interested in the conversation, but the idea stuck to his mind. He had dragged Usopp along in the end since Usopp was always good company, come rain or sunshine.

Usopp was also easily distracted, however, and it wasn’t long before Sanji lost him in the crowd of sweaty men that lined the club wall to wall.

He would be fine, Sanji told himself. Usopp was a big boy and he usually didn’t drink much on nights out. He also had a tendency to make friends everywhere he went, unlike Sanji, who scared most people away with his resting face. Right now, his friend was probably enjoying himself in the middle of the dance floor while Sanji sulked by the bar.

Once upon a time, he had loved clubbing. Enjoyed the freedom that came with having all your senses overwhelmed until the music was all you felt. Loved how the alcohol quieted his anxiety in a time when anxiety was all he seemed to have. He revelled in being wanted, having pairs of eyes and hands on him all night long. 

And then there was the fact that, once upon a time, clubbing was all he had. He’d even worked the bars for extra cash while he figured out his life. Running away from home at the sweet age of fifteen had given him freedom and he would be lying if he said he always used that freedom wisely.

In many ways, Sanji was lucky. He had heard stories from other guys. He knew how bad things could go sometimes, especially for dumb kids like him, who started out young, reckless and feeling like they had the whole world to prove wrong. Sanji had gotten away mostly unscarred, stolen wallets and crappy one night stands aside.

He knew he was even more ridiculously, stupidly lucky to have found friends like the ones he had now, not to mention a decent place to live and an even better place to work at.

He still remembered the last time Zeff had threatened Sanji with bloody murder. Sanji and Usopp had just started living together, but it hadn’t been enough to put a pause to Sanji’s clubbing habits. It took Sanji showing up to work hungover one too many times and Zeff yelling at him about drinking his liver away for Sanji to realize maybe, just maybe, he had a problem.

That had been that. Sanji put a pause to clubbing the next day and hadn’t gone back until now.

Now, when he was definitely regretting his life choices.

The guy who was talking to him was… annoying, to say the least. He was too loud, for starters, which was saying a lot considering the music at LEVEL 5.5 was loud enough to give people ear damage if they stayed the whole night. He kept leaning in close to touch him and whisper in his ear even though Sanji moved away from him each and every time. He also didn’t seem to understand that Sanji could not be less interested, despite Sanji answering in nothing but grunts and shrugs in response to whatever Spandex… or was it Spamday? Spam whatever had to say.

“So, do you come here often?” Spam asked.

Sanji gave him a look that Usopp had once classified as ‘Classic Sanji Disgust’. It involved his one visible eyebrow climbing up while the corners of his mouth moved towards his jaw in a sneer.

Spambot either didn’t notice or didn’t care that his audience wasn’t impressed by his non-existent suaveness and brain-rotting charisma.

Sanji looked around the room, trying to figure out a good exit strategy. In the past, he would have just walked away without saying anything, but this guy had put himself between Sanji and the rest of the club and laid a hand on Sanji’s arm that was already way too much, not to mention his overly firm grip.

He looked like the type who would follow him all night even if Sanji did manage to ditch him, which was the last thing Sanji needed.

And to think he could have gotten a massage instead.

With a sigh, Sanji pulled out his phone after Spand started talking to him about his job as a stockbroker (oh! the thrill!). The easiest way to get out of this mess was if he could get Usopp to come pick him up. Then again, that was easier said than done.

Usopp !   
  
**Sanji:** where are you?? theres a creepy annoying dude hitting on me and he wont leave   
**Sanji:** hello???   
**Sanji:** you better not be making out with any hot dudes right now    
**Sanji:** (but if you are ayyyyy buddy congrats! go get some!!)   
**Sanji:** but you better not be for real this dude is super annoying

Sanji dragged his eyes from his phone to the hand Spandy didn’t have on his arm, which was currently hovering over the beer Sanji had been nursing all night.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing, beautiful. Just checking if you need a refill,” Spammy said with a creep ass grin that made Sanji physically recoil.

Goddammit, he had let this whole thing get too far because of his stupid fucking hang-ups from the past. This whole was making Sanji feel like a kid again, powerless and weak in the face of someone overbearing. 

“You don’t need to touch my glass to check whether or not I need a refill. You have eyes for that,” Sanji said because he wasn’t five again and he wasn’t putting up with this shit anymore.

“I don’t know what you mean. I was just trying to help you,” said the piece of shit in front of him. Sanji reared back, ready to kick him in the balls when a hand grabbed Span by the shoulder and pulled him away like he was nothing but a pesky fly.

“There you are,” said some guy Sanji had never seen before in his life. “I’ve been looking for you all over, babe. You alright?”

Though his tone was sweet and familiar in a way that irked Sanji, his question was genuine. He was looking at Sanji with concern written all over his face, and he wouldn’t look away for a single moment even while Spandy tried to shove him away.

Sanji smiled and leaned forward for the first time that night. “I’m okay, was wondering where you’d gone off to. What took you so long?”

The guy grinned back and slipped an arm around Sanji’s waist, though his touch was so light Sanji barely felt it. Sanji was now between the bar, two occupied seats and new mystery guy. Spambot was behind his rescuer, yelling something that Sanji couldn’t hear over the music.

“For real though, you alright? I’m pretty sure that guy was about to slip something in your drink.” The guy said, speaking low into Sanji’s ear.

Sanji sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted and done with this whole going out shenanigan.

“That’s what I thought. He’s been a pain in the ass all night.”

“Do you want to get out of here? Or if you want I can stand here and pretend to be your over-protective boyfriend for as long as it takes for him to leave?”

Sanji finally stopped to take a good look at his apparent rescuer. He was quite handsome with a strong jawline and a constellation of freckles decorating his face and running down his neck. He probably had them everywhere, alongside a nice farmboy tan that contrasted sharply with Sanji’s own pale complexion.

He was the type Sanji would normally go a little weak on the knees for, and he would be lying if having him be all over Sanji looking earnest and concerned didn’t spark some interest.

Nevertheless, Sanji was tired. He would have preferred calling it quits for the evening then and there, but since Usopp hadn’t replied to any of his texts yet, Sanji had to make a tough decision. Either play hide and seek in a club full of handsy men or spend some time with the handsome farmboy.

He’d made harder decisions, that much he could say.

“Stay with me? I’ll buy you a drink for your trouble.”

The other man grinned at him. “There are worse ways to spend an evening. At least this way I don’t have to worry about doing anything too embarrassing and my friends getting it on tape for future blackmail material.”

Sanji laughed, his shoulders loosening as he relaxed. “Would they really do that?” He asked, genuinely curious.

“Nah, they’re just shooting the shit. Well, someone did post my bare naked ass on their Instagram once, but they were really drunk when they did it and the caption was ‘the most beautiful moons I’ve ever seen’,” the man said, holding up air quotes. “So I don’t think that counts?”

“It is a pretty flattering compliment,” Sanji said, grinning down at the other man. He was shorter than him by a few inches but still fairly tall, and he seemed to make up for the lack of height in shoulder width. Sanji had never stepped foot inside a gym, but he’d bet this guy was a regular. Sanji wondered if he did a lot of squats. He had to, right? If his friends were clamouring over his ass on social media...

He was about to ask if his voluptuous rescuer happened to have a copy of the photo when he noticed that Spant was still hanging around near them. Apparently Beautiful Ass noticed him looking and glanced over his shoulder.

“Hey, buddy, can’t you see you’re bothering my boyfriend and me? Piss off,” he yelled, not bothering to look at him long enough to check if he was going to reply. He moved a fraction of a step closer to Sanji while still giving him plenty of space to be.

Sanji refused to glance at Spanx for even a second, not taking his eyes off the other man.

“My hero,” he said, making both of them laugh.

“I could take him in a fight. Seems kinda unfair considering he looks like the wind could blow him over, but I would do it if I had to.”

Sanji glanced at his arms. Yup. “Don’t doubt that,” he said. “I’m Sanji, by the way.”

“Ace. Nice to meet you.”

They didn’t shake hands since there wasn’t that much space for them to break apart, but Sanji did feel a light squeeze on his hip before Ace retracted his hand.

“So, what can I get you?” Sanji asked, turning towards the bar to see if he could flag down a bartender. 

“You don’t need to get me anything, for real,” Ace yelled. He sounded earnest, almost painfully so, as if he was adamant that Sanji know this.

“Not even a beer?” He asked.

“You don’t owe me anything.”

Sanji snorted. “I know, but I’d like to get you something. I mean, we are at a club.”

Ace tilted his head to the side as if he was confused and yet also amused by him. “Just because we’re at a club doesn’t mean we have to drink.”

“Really?” Sanji asked, scepticism written all over his face. He couldn’t remember a single night out where he hadn’t gotten at least pleasantly tipsy. His first night out at the sweet age of sixteen started with a litre of beer and ended with two shots of absinthe and him puking his guts out behind a tree. Shit days, those were. 

Ace stared at him for a few seconds before he seemed to come to some sort of decision, nodding to himself.

“Do you want to dance?” He asked, completely ignoring Sanji’s previous statement.

Sanji stared at him, baffled into silence by the quick change of topic. He debated with himself for a moment before he thought _fuck it_. This was what he’d come here to do in the first place. Unwind. Relax. Enjoy having the music course through him as if it was blood itself. His time hadn’t gone to plan so far, but the night was still young.

“One second,” he said. He pulled out his phone to text Usopp a quick ‘ _nvm im good_ ’ in case his friend bothered to look at his phone for the night before he pocketed it again. He then flagged down a bartender, gave them a rough description of Spandam, and waited for them to confirm security would find him before he turned back to Ace. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Ace led him to the middle of the dance floor, his arm never leaving Sanji’s waist. There were eyes tracking them as they walked, though whether they were staring at him or Ace, Sanji could not tell. He did step close to Ace, however, until they were nearly plastered front to front. He wouldn’t classify himself as possessive, per se, but a childhood of want and hunger had made him reluctant to share even the things that weren’t his in the first place.

The club was playing Eurotrash that evening, mixed in with a couple of hits from the 90s that everyone seemed to love. It was the kind of music that was fun and loud and everyone knew half the lyrics.

At the start, Sanji danced with his arms around Ace’s shoulders, not grabbing or pulling, just being. If Ace was surprised or bothered by this, he sure didn’t show it. His own hands never left Sanji’s hips even as his own started moving in little circles that barely pressed against Sanji.

It was impossible to track how much time they spent dancing together. The atmosphere at the club was hazy and warm, buzzing against their skin. Sanji opened the first three buttons on his shirt for some air, not missing how Ace zero’ed in on the spot before he looked up again. Though he was entirely sober, Sanji felt almost heady underneath all the careful attention.

At some point, Ace let go of him to start doing silly dance moves, a couple of fist pumps and pizza tosses that had Sanji throwing back his head in laughter. 

"Have I impressed you with my dazzling dance moves yet?"

Sanji laughed some more. "I'm not sure if impressed is the right word."

"Just you wait until I sweep you off your feet," Ace promised before he got all up close and personal with Sanji – whoa, he really did have a ton of freckles – and did just that, ignoring the few hundred curses Sanji threw at him. 

"You are a menace to society. Has anyone ever told you that?" Sanji yelled once his head was more than ten inches away from the ground and his feet were on solid footing again.

Ace blinked up at him before he burst into laughter. "My brother told me that literally just this morning. Have you two met?"

Sanji shook his head. "If he’s as mad as you, definitely not. I don't think I've ever met anyone like you before," he confessed, surprising himself with his own honesty.

It wasn’t long before he was joining Ace in doing silly dance moves, pulling out every corny move he could think of, from the robot to the Hannah Montana country classic, loving how Ace matched him move for move. He couldn't remember the last time he'd ever had this much fun in a club. Hell, outside of time spent with Nami and Usopp, he couldn't remember ever having this much fun, period.

He danced and laughed so hard he actually had to clear tears from his eyes a couple of times. Throughout it all, Ace never went too far, pulling them back together whenever it looked like they were about to part in a sea of strangers.

“You having fun?” He was asked at some point, the words shouted right against his ear-shell. Sanji shivered from the close contact and the feeling of Ace pulling so close.

“More than I’ve had in ages. Thank you, for this and for the rescue earlier.”

“I’m glad I could help, babe.”

And if Sanji blushed at the repeated nickname, this time voiced for him and him alone, at least Ace wouldn’t be able to tell underneath the fluorescent club lights.

“Do you do this often on nights out? Find strangers in trouble and save them from their fate?” Sanji asked. He wasn’t sure why he was asking Ace this in particular, he knew it was hardly polite, but he had the feeling Ace didn’t really care for such things.

“No. You’re my first ever club rescue, believe it or not. I usually just dance with my friends and make a fool out of myself, as you’ve now had the pleasure of witnessing.”

“Am I special then?” Sanji asked. It was a stupid question -- a selfish question -- but the urge to press for more wouldn’t leave him.

“You are. You’re also the type who can take care of himself, but I figured if I swooped in I would save you a few busted knuckles,” Ace said, speaking right into Sanji’s ear.

“I only kick people. I’m a chef. Can’t be damaging the goods.”

They were close enough now that if Sanji were to turn his head ever so slightly to the side, they would kiss. Who actually made the move, Sanji wasn’t sure. He only knew one moment he was thinking about kissing Ace, and the next he had a pair of lips pressed against his and a hand finally clenching his ass hard enough to leave an impression.

Sanji’s own hands slipped through Ace’s hair, for once not caring about how sweaty club hair felt. Sanji had never been a big fan of kissing, not with one-night stands anyway, but he enjoyed this one. Ace was unhurried, for starters, pressing and nibbling and touching but never pushing Sanji for more. He seemed to enjoy taking his time and learning what made Sanji squirm into his hands.

Their kiss was lazy and warm and soft. When they parted to breathe, Ace started peppering Sanji’s jaw with small fluttering kisses and Sanji moved his head to give him space. He felt Ace open his mouth to start kissing and nibbling a spot on Sanji’s neck, which would surely leave a mark. Sadly for his future self, Sanji wasn’t able to give a single flying fuck.

His neck had always been one of his weak spots and it would have taken an avalanche to stop himself from clutching Ace tighter, fingernails leaving scratches on skin.

“Christ,” he hissed. He was usually not one for public demonstrations of affection, but he was strongly reconsidering it.

Ace pulled back from his neck with a loud and wet pop noise that made Sanji cringe on the inside. “Nope,” he said. “Just me.”

The next time they kissed there was tongue involved and more downstairs action than Sanji had seen in a while. He was thinking about inviting Ace back to his place when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

He was a little surprised at the time, but he hardly got a chance to wonder at where the hours had gone when he realized what Usopp was texting him.

Usopp !   
  
**Usopp:** SOS   
  
**Usopp:** Come quick!! Im by the door   
  
**Usopp:** Please!!!

“Shit,” Sanji cursed and pushed Ace away with a hand on his chest, putting some space between them. “Shit, shit, shit. I’m sorry, I need to go.”

“Everything okay?” Ace let go of Sanji’s waist and took a step back.

“Maybe. I don’t know. My friend is texting me, I need to leave. I’m sorry, I had a great time,” Sanji said.

Before he knew it, he was racing across the club, shoving people away without giving a single flying fuck. Usopp had never texted him SOS before and Sanji didn’t know what was wrong – LEVEL 5.5 was usually pretty chill on the weekends – but he was still panicking maybe more than a little bit when he finally reached Usopp’s side.

“What’s wrong? What happened? Are you hurt? Did anyone force themselves on you?”

Usopp turned to him and threw his hands up in the air, shouting at Sanji. “I lost my jacket! I don’t know how it happened. One minute I was dancing next to the stage with the jacket around my waist and the next it was gone.”

Jacket… He lost his jacket? Sanji took a few deep breaths, trying to figure out what the hell Usopp was talking about. 

“You texted me _SOS_ because you lost your jacket?”

“My wallet is in there! Also, it was one of my nicer jackets. Cost me a third of my paycheck and Nami bargaining for twenty minutes.”

“Your wallet is… Right, of course.” Sanji pinched the bridge of his nose and used every inch of strength in him not to kick Usopp in the face.

It was alright. Usopp didn’t go clubbing often. He didn’t know that in a club you always kept your jacket on you or put it in the coat room and you never, ever, parted with your wallet. It was fine. If they were lucky, the jacket would be on the floor somewhere, and then they could just return to what they were doing before: Usopp making friends with half the club and Sanji making out with Ace. No worries.

“I left a really, really amazing guy because of your stupid text. We had a connection. A real connection. I just want you to know that.”

“Aw, you left a guy for me?” Usopp pressed a hand to his own chest. Sanji kicked him in the chin.

“I fucking hate you right now.”

“What?” Usopp asked, doubled down in pain “You didn’t get his number?”

“No, I didn’t get his number! I thought you were in trouble so I came running, idiot. We’ll have to find him later,” Sanji said.

“You know, I’m pretty sure me losing my wallet _and_ my favorite jacket classifies as an emergency. It’s in the Best Friend’s Handbook.”

Sanji turned around and started walking back to the dance floor. “What do you even have in your wallet anyway? Twenty dollars and some old receipts?”

Now that Sanji was present and involved in the Great Jacket Search, Usopp seemed to have relaxed tremendously, and quickly joined him with a lil hop. “Less than that. Probably just five bucks and some candy. My bus pass was in there, though, and I charged that just last week.”

Sanji hummed in response. Neither he nor Usopp had any real money, but he knew how much it sucked losing the little they had anyway. The first time Sanji lost his wallet he spent the whole night crying and woke up covered in snot and feeling like hell ran over him. It was a messy, shitty feeling.

They started searching for Usopp’s jacket by the stage, since that was the last place Usopp remembered having it. The club lights were pretty shit, so the searching process was a mix of rubbing their feet on the floor to see if they hit anything and squinting at club-goers to see if anyone was wearing the jacket.

Usopp also talked to the group he’d been dancing with, a mix of drag queens and some really fashionable guys, who had no memory of the jacket but did join their search, until eventually they found it shoved up against a wall, a little worse for the wear but still intact and with Usopp’s wallet in one of the pockets.

“You’re good?” Sanji asked as Usopp slipped on the damn jacket.

“Yes! Are you gonna find your dream boy now? Can I come with?”

Sanji cringed. “And do what? Challenge him to a dance contest?” The way Usopp’s eyes lighted up told Sanji this was definitely the wrong joke to make to a tipsy Usopp. “Can you forget I said that?”

“He can dance? The guys you usually meet never dance. They just sorta shimmy and grind.” Usopp did a really bad interpretation of a dirty club grind. Sanji kicked him again. “Come on, let me meet him. This is a special night. I found my jacket. You found a guy you actually like and don’t secretly despise and develop a weird hate-sex buddies thing.”

Sanji glared at Usopp though he couldn't, strictly speaking, debate this. His last attempt at a relationship had been pitiful, according to Nami, and excruciating, according to Usopp. Ace was, like, ten times better already and they'd only shared one kiss.

“Alright, alright. But no dance-offs.”

“Dance is very powerful, Sanji. When it wants to flow, no one can control it.”

Sanji briefly, but maybe not briefly enough, contemplated ripping off Usopp’s jacket and tossing it onto the middle of the dancing crowd so it could get stomped on some more. Maybe another night.

They made their way through the club walking close together to make sure neither got lost. It took a couple of minutes, but eventually they got to the spot where Sanji had left Ace and found it… full of other people.

Sanji looked around, pushed some guys out the way and even jumped a few times so see if going high would give him a better view. He took a walk around the area they’d been in, then another bigger walk that stretched all the way to the bar. He even checked the bathrooms, in a final bout of desperation, before he finally accepted his fate.

“He’s not here,” he concluded, voice devoid of any emotion. _Shit._ Why wasn’t he here? Sanji must have been gone for ten, twenty minutes tops.

“Did you ask him to wait for you?”

“Did I ask him to wait for me? Of course I – didn’t. Shit. No. I totally panicked when I got your text and then I just left him without an explanation. _Fuck_.”

“Yeah.” Usopp patted Sanji’s shoulder. “That would do it.”

Sanji glared at his supposed best friend. “I will throw you into a shark tank, I swear. This is all your fault!”

Usopp ignored him. “So what now?”

Sanji scratched his head. Tonight had been far more eventful than he’d planned. Now that all the adrenaline and excitement were gone, it seemed his general exhaustion had made a comeback. 

“This sucks. I really liked him,” he said.

Usopp threw an arm over his shoulders. “We can keep looking.”

“No, there’s no point. He probably thought I was trying to ditch him and left after I did. Let’s just go home.”

He and Usopp took a night bus home since they had, in grand total, less than fifteen dollars between them. It was thankfully a quiet ride and when they got back to their apartment, Sanji headed straight into his bedroom, stripping quickly before he threw himself face-first on the bed. 

On a normal night it would take him ages to fall asleep, but it seemed his exhaustion was real enough that this time he was out like a rock within a few minutes. He woke up the next day to memories of freckles, a bright smile, and morning wood. He was about to rub one off against the mattress when a pitiful, whale like noise coming from his side startled him.

Sanji peered over the bed to find Usopp lying on the floor wrapped around a pillow like it was his lifeline. Huh. He must have drank a lot more than Sanji realized, or maybe age was making both of them weak. Sanji himself had a bit of a headache, but was overall no worse for the wear physically.

Emotionally, his memory of last night was catching up to him fast and he wasn't sure if he liked it.

“Why are you in my bedroom?” he asked.

Usopp groaned, but didn’t reply. Sanji contemplated throwing a pillow at him, but didn’t feel like risking Usopp puking in his bedroom and being the one to clean it up.

Besides, he had more important things to do, like check his phone and make sure his stupid past-self hadn’t missed out on a chance with someone actually nice by being a complete fuck and forgetting to get his number.

Alas, life was cruel and bitter and horrible in many, many ways.

“I hate myself,” Sanji groaned, falling back on the bed. “I hate myself and all of humanity. This is so unfair.”

Usopp groaned what could be construed as a sickly, “What?” so Sanji decided to do his good deed of the day and got up to grab some painkillers.

“I didn’t get his number! How could I not get his number? He was so hot, Usopp. He had like rock-solid muscles and he saved my ass _and_ he made me laugh.”

“That’s nice…” Usopp said.

Sanji threw the pill box at his face and left a water bottle by his side before he climbed back in bed.

“If you throw up in my bedroom I’m going to put kale in all your breakfasts from now on,” he said, though even to his own ears he sounded too sad to be threatening. 

Sanji spent the next couple of minutes glaring at his phone as if anger alone could magically make Ace’s number appear. Figures, first night he goes out in weeks and actually meets a nice guy and he totally ruins his chances by not getting his stupid phone number.

Out the corner of his eye, a sad blanket shape crawled out of his bedroom.

There was only one person who could help him now. Sanji took a deep breath and pulled out his inner poet.

Nami-Swan   
  
**Sanji:** Nami dearest have I told you recently that you are most precious and beautiful soul I know   
  
**Sanji:** you’re an angel and the light of my otherwise dreary world   
  
**Sanji:** you’re a gift to humanity   
  
**Nami** Who did you fuck last night and why do I have to beat them up?

Sanji glared at his phone. Fine. Fair. It’s true that he didn’t have the best track record with guys. Life was a journey of growth and learning. Sanji blazed through.

Nami-Swan   
  
**Sanji:** The problem is who I DIDNT fuck    
  
**Sanji:** I met a really hot guy last night and we had a really good thing going   
  
**Sanji:** but i had to leave him because usopp is a fucking idiot   
  
**Sanji:** and i didnt get his number   
  
**Sanji:** i need your help :(((   
  
**Nami** I’ll be there in one hour. Will there be mimosas?   
  
**Sanji:** for you?? anything

With Nami’s help secured, Sanji’s energy was renewed and he decided a shower and some pancakes were in order.


	2. and remember in the morning

Two hours, five mimosas and twenty pancakes later, Usopp’s hangover was gone and Sanji was the one lying down on the floor. 

“We’re never gonna find him,” he despaired.

Nami scoffed, though she no longer sounded as confident as she had when walking into the apartment. They’d spent the past two hours scrolling through every piece of social media they could find related to club LEVEL 5.5, figuring their best chance of finding Ace would be by discovering a photo he was tagged in.

Alas, they hadn’t found a damn thing so far and Sanji was starting to lose hope.

“No negativity when I’m working, thank you. Anyway, we are definitely gonna find him. Everyone has their phones out at that club. There’s gotta be at least one photo of him somewhere,” said Nami.

The mimosas seemed to have given her strength, which was good, because Sanji himself had lost all his joy de vivre.

“What if there isn’t? What if he’s just gone, forever? The love of my life…” Sanji put a pillow over his head and screamed.

“Aren’t you being a little dramatic? You guys shared a dance and a kiss. I’m sure you can find another nice guy like that if you want to. You’re a total catch, buddy,” Usopp said, which was very nice of him, but did nothing to help Sanji’s current situation.

He didn’t want some other guy. He wanted the guy he met and danced with! Sanji threw a pillow in Usopp’s vague direction without lifting his head from the floor. “He was the one, Usopp!”

Usopp grumbled something low enough that Sanji didn’t catch it, showing up in Sanji’s field of vision a few moments later with more pancakes. “You wanna eat your feelings?”

Well, there were worse ways to spend a Sunday morning. He had work in the evening, but he could indulge his dramatic side for a little – or long – while longer. 

He was halfway through a bite when Nami called out his name, making him choke on a blueberry. “Fuck – what?”

“I think I found your boy. If it is him, I gotta say, your taste is impeccable.”

To say Sanji bolted to her side didn’t quite comprehend the speed and dynamism he exercised to fly to her.

"Nami, you're a witch. A beautiful, talented, super-powerful witch."

"Oh, did you actually find him? Let me see,” Usopp said, which resulted in an accidental scuffle between them since Sanji refused to let go of the phone until he’d had his fill.

Their little physical argument ended with a pancake on the ceiling and Nami punching them so hard they both saw stars for a moment.

"Will you two stop fighting for a second and focus. Is this your boy or not, Sanji?"

Sanji wasn't even gonna argue about the possessive term. "Yes, that's him! What's his account? Who tagged him?"

“The photo was posted by the club’s official instagram account. No tags and only one like by a guy named Thatch. Profile is private though. You know him?” Nami handed the phone over to Sanji, who immediately messaged the photo to himself. 

“No,” he said. “He talked to me about his friends, but didn’t mention anyone by name.”

Nami sighed and took the phone back. “We’ll find something else,” she promised.

With their search proving fruitless, Sanji thanked her for all the help and didn’t put up a fight when Usopp turned on the television so they could watch Grey’s Anatomy, season five.

It was a good enough distraction and it managed to keep him from wallowing long until he had to leave for work.

His shift at the restaurant was, as usual, brutal, tiring, and deeply rewarding. There were few things Sanji enjoyed as much as cooking. He particularly delighted in the few times clients picked the Chef’s recommendation and he got the chance to create something new for them and deliver it himself.

Sometimes – well, okay, often – Zeff would yell at him for being insubordinate and changing the dishes too much, but that was part of the charm. Anyway, if the old man was really bothered, he could just fire Sanji from his position as Sous-chef. Until then, deal with it.

He wasn’t altogether too surprised to come home and discover Nami and Usopp in nearly the exact same positions they were in when he left. Nami stretched on the couch with her legs thrown over Usopp, who was surrounded by fifty or so pillows.

Sanji was, however, surprised at their watch choice for the night. 

“Sanji, if you had to pick one to marry, who would you prefer, Jonathan or Drew?”

He lied down on the floor between the television and the couch since there was hardly space for him anywhere else. “Bold of you to assume I can tell the Property Brothers apart.”

“Jonathan is the contractor. Drew is the real estate agent. I’d go with Jonathan myself, I like a handyman,” Usopp explained.

Sanji glanced over at the television before closing his eyes. “Neither. They’re not my type.”

“You’re no fun,” Nami complained, tossing a pillow at him. “I’m gonna steal something to drink from your fridge.”

“Can you grab me some juice?” Usopp asked, probably to Nami, since Sanji was star-sprawled on the floor and showed no indication of moving anytime soon.

“Usopp, I want you to listen to a poem I wrote.”

“Sanji, I love you like the brother I always wanted, but I’m not listening to your ode about some guy you met at the club.”

“Usopp! Come on! You’re my only friend.” Another pillow hit Sanji on the face. “You’re one of my closest friends! I need your emotional support during these trying times in which I am separated from my rescuing angel–“

“Some guy at the club–“

“Who I would be with right now if _someone_ hadn’t gotten drunk on $7.99 cocktails and gave me the scare of a lifetime.”

Usopp sighed, loudly. His back and neck bent to an impressive angle considering he had never gone to a single yoga class with Sanji, despite numerous invitations.

“Fine. Read me your poem. Hit me with your best poetic shot,” he said, laying down on the floor next to Sanji.

“Do I also have to listen to this?” Nami asked as she walked back to the living room with two glasses of orange.

Sanji paused, then figured fuck it, in for a penny, in for a pound. She was the one hanging around in their apartment at one in the morning anyway.

“Yes,” he said, pulling out his phone and so he could recite his masterpiece.

>   
>  _The lights catch in your eyes_   
>  _Lighthouse beacon on a stormy sea_   
>  _Freckles dusting your shores like the sand_   
>  _Hips rolling on my own like the tide_   
>  _I'm drowning in you_   
>  _I'm drowning without you_   
>  _An ocean stretches between us_   
>  _The current carries you away_   
>  _Don't let us be two ships in the night_   
>  _Put your arms around my waist_   
>  _My lifeline on this raging sea_   
>  _The two of us_   
>  _Together_   
>  _Free_

Sanji’s poem was, quite frankly, not very good. He’d written it in ten minutes while waiting for the bus home and while he wouldn’t say it was purposefully bad, on the basis that he didn’t have enough skill to write anything with purpose, it was certainly a work in development.

When he finished his reading, Nami left for the kitchen again, this time coming back with a bottle of fizzy wine and two glasses, which she poured and drank both herself in quick succession before pouring another one for Usopp. “If this is what you’re like when you’re pining for someone, I fear the day you fall in love.”

“Don’t worry. When that day comes I’ll be busy with my lover instead of despairing in my apartment with you guys. I’ll still call to share the details though.”

Nami laughed and threw herself on the floor, laying between Sanji and Usopp. She passed the wine bottle to Sanji while Usopp tried to drink from his glass without lifting his head.

“In all seriousness, I’m happy seeing you so infatuated with someone. This is new for you.”

Sanji hummed but didn’t reply. This was new for him, yes, and in truth, it had surprised even himself at the start. He’d dated people before, some even for a few months, but he’d never truly _liked_ someone. He’d had a few crushes as loud as this one, but they’d all lasted moments, less than days most of the time. Infatuations and that seemed to come and go like the wind.

This was different, although why exactly Sanji struggled to understand. He remembered how free he had felt with Ace and how he’d never experience something like that with someone else. It had been so easy to dance and laugh with him, to not care about anyone else but the two of them in that bubble of time.

Then there was the fact that he’d had Ace just one brief, delicious moment, losing him before he could get any more.

And Sanji did want more, pathetically so. He voiced this thought out loud.

“You’re not pathetic,” Usopp said. “You’re just full of love, more so than most people, and up until now you’ve struggled to find people who you could give that love to. You have me, Nami, and Zeff, but that’s different. This is _love_ love.”

Sanji frowned, getting a small sip of wine in his mouth and a bigger portion on his shirt. Damn it. 

“This isn’t love. You guys said it yourselves. Ace is just some guy I met at the club. We spent most of the night dancing and barely even talked.”

A hand waved Sanji’s comment away. “This is the possibility of love. It’s different and yet similar in its own way,” Usopp said, acting like he was some kind of master philosopher and not a preschool teacher who spent most of his days convincing kids not to eat their own boogers.

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Yeah, that might be true. I’m kind of drunk,” Usopp said, leaning over Nami to steal the bottle of wine from Sanji even though it was empty by now, half of it having gone to Sanji’s clothes.

“You’re a ridiculous light-weight.” Sanji sighed. “Guess it’s time to cook dinner. Omelette good with everyone?”

“You know I die for anything you cook.” Usopp giggled to himself. “Bet your saving angel will love your food too. Maybe you should put a classified ad in a local newspaper. _Missing: hot boy. Reward: delicious heavenly food_.”

“Oh, you could put a picture of yourself in a tiny little apron and nothing else. Bet that would get people’s eyes on you.”

Sanji left the two before they continued their little fantasy. Though he would never admit it out loud, he actually put some thought into the idea as he got started on the omelette, but he ended up discarding it by the time the other two set the table. He was pathetic but not _that_ pathetic, thank you very much.

Not to mention, he was as broke as they came and could hardly afford rent, much less a newspaper ad.

The next week passed in much the same way. Sanji went to work, yelled at people, made delicious food, got yelled at by Zeff, and came home to find Usopp and sometimes Nami hanging out. 

Through it all, Nami kept him updated on her investigation into Hot Muscles (her own nickname, based on Sanji’s description and the one photo they’d seen), but as the days passed they didn’t get any closer. Seemed mystery boy had no social media presence they could find and yes, Sanji did think this was a cruel trick of fate being played upon him.

He was beginning to lose hope when he got a text from Nami Thursday morning. Usopp had already left for work, which meant it was just Sanji pacing his apartment as he debated what he wanted for breakfast. He was working the dinner shift today at the restaurant, which meant he was still wearing pyjamas past ten and had no plans to change that any time soon. He was thinking about scrambled eggs when he opened the messaging app and saw a photo of the back of someone’s head.

Sanji had a moment to be confused before another photo popped up, this time of the side-profile Sanji had been daydreaming about for nearly a week now.

To say that Sanji left the apartment in record time would be an understatement. He nearly flew out, shirt untucked and blazer in one hand as he took the stairs three by three. He’d been hoping that they would get somewhere through Instagram and never thought something like this would happen, but he wasn’t about to lose his chance.

In true horny fashion, he only read Nami’s first three texts before he put his phone in his pocket and started power-walking to the coffee shop.

Nami-Swan   
  
**Nami** Is this your boy?   
  
**Nami** Kinda looks like your boy from the photos we saw.   
  
**Nami** I’m at the coffee shop in front of Le Mans, the one with the really good cinnamon buns.   
  
**Nami** He looks even hotter in person. Good shoulders. You know I like that in a man.   
  
**Nami** Oh he just met up with another blonde dude. Shit. I’m sorry.   
  
**Nami** Maybe don’t come?   
  
**Nami** Sanji?

Sanji was about to walk in when a strong, muscled arm intercepted him.

“Wait!” Nami yelled. “He’s with someone else.”

The words were like a bucket of cold water tossed over his head. “What?”

He saw Nami bite down her bottom lip and didn’t even think his usual _cute_ , too distracted by what she was saying. “He’s in there with some other blonde dude. I didn’t get to hear what they were saying, but they looked really close. They were laughing and seemed quite comfortable around one another.”

“Ah…” Sanji said, words escaping him.

Right, of course, made sense. Ace had been too good to be true right from the start and the pathetic crush Sanji developed on him had clearly hyped this up even more. Sanji had thought the two of them had shared a real connection, but obviously that couldn’t be true. A good guy would never go for someone like him. He was an idiot, a fool, had always fucking been an idiot–

“I’m sorry,” Nami said, squeezing Sanji’s hand.

Sanji squeezed back before he took a step away. He was gripped by the throat by a hot, visceral shame, the humiliation pouring through him like fire. He felt trapped, out of air and out of space. He was about to run off fuck knows where when none other than cheating scumbag Ace and stupidly hot blonde boyfriend walked out the coffee shop and literally bumped into Sanji’s back.

“Oops, sorry, pal.” The words were coming from Ace, every single one of them a dagger to Sanji’s heart.

Sanji didn’t even think as he turned around, his body moving automatically as a moth drawn to light. 

He watched first-hand how Ace’s face lit up at the sight of him, which drew the strings of his heart even as he tried to tamper down his hope.

“It’s you,” Ace said. He reached for Sanji, who was currently experiencing more human emotions than he could handle and had frozen in place. “Didn’t think I’d see you again."

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. My friend had an emergency and I had to go check up on him. I tried looking for you afterwards but you were gone by then,” Sanji said, not realizing stupid he sounded until he’s finished speaking.

Here he was, talking about being at the club with Ace right in front of his boyfriend who was… sipping a frappuccino and looking at Sanji with an open and rather innocent expression.

“I didn’t realize… Shit, I’m sorry. Oh man, I thought you’d, like, left. I’m an idiot.”

Sanji looked between Ace and his boyfriend, wondering what the hell was going on. He was ready to give a hasty goodbye when Ace’s boyfriend seemed to perk up as if he’d just realized something and spoke up.

“Oh wait, is he the guy you were telling me about? The one from the club?”

Ace turned to his boyfriend and spoke through gritted teeth. “Yes. He is. Sabo.”

The guy looked Sanji up and down before he nodded. “I gotta say, I am pleasantly surprised. I was starting to think you’d made him up.”

Sanji glanced from one man to the other and cringed. He couldn’t believe he’d gotten dragged into the middle of a lovers’ squabble, fucking hell. What if this Sabo guy and Ace started fighting? Worse, what if he wanted to fight Sanji? And possibly put Nami in danger? No way in hell.

“Look, I’m really sorry to come between you two. I had no idea Ace had a boyfriend. He didn’t mention it at the club and I didn’t think to ask. We’re just gonna go now–”

“Wait!” Ace grabbed his wrist, making Sanji strongly reconsider his previous thoughts on bodily harm. A little kick to the nuts would be deserved. 

“You think we’re dating?” Sabo asked, followed by a gagging noise.

“You are not helping!” Ace hissed at him. 

Sabo blew a raspberry at him and took a step towards Sanji, who tightened his muscles in anticipation as he saw Sabo take out the hand in his pocket. He was ready to take a punch when he realized Sabo was offering him his hand to shake, which he did, gingerly.

“It’s super nice to meet you. Ace has not stopped talking about you since you two made out at the club. I’m Sabo, Ace’s coolest brother.”

Sanji shook Sabo’s hand on instinct, but it was Nami who interjected with a surprised, “Oh!”

Oh, indeed.

“You’re brothers?” Sanji asked.

“Sadly,” said Ace.

“Ignore him,” said Sabo.

If Sanji had been shocked before, he was pretty sure he was on another plane of existence now. He had no clue what to think, but the reality that Ace was not, in fact, a douchebag was slowly dawning on him and bringing him back to life.

“It’s great to meet you too,” Sanji said. By his side, Nami coughed, loudly. “And this is my best friend, Nami. We were just about to have a coffee together.”

“It’s so lovely to see you guys!” Nami said, smiling warmly at both Ace and Sabo before she turned around. “Sanji, I actually just remembered I have lunch plans across town today and I need to go if I don’t want to be late. Sorry! Speak later, okay?”

Before Sanji got a chance to say anything, Ace’s brother spoke up.

“Oh, how curious, I just remembered I have something else planned too! I’ll go with you.” 

And then just like that the two of them were gone, walking in the same direction as if they were the best of friends already.

Right. Okay. This was fine. Sanji had once prided himself in his flirting skills. Then again he rarely ever used them on someone he actually, genuinely wanted to impress, but there was a first time for everything.

“So…” Ace said.

“So! You’re not dating anyone,” Sanji said, you know, like an idiot.

“No, but I would like to be,” Ace said with an overly casual shrug that had him leaning into Sanji’s space. “If that person happens to be interested, that is.”

“I – I’m safe to assume you mean me, right? Just to check.”

“Yes,” Ace laughed. “Yes, I mean you. I would love to take you on a date. A proper date where we can sit down and talk and see where things go.”

Sanji exhaled in relief. It was possible he was a bit more nervous than he wanted to acknowledge. “I would love that. I felt like a complete jackass the other night after I realized I never got your number. I may have spent the past couple of days pining a bit; well, maybe a lot.”

Ace took another step closer to him, the two of them walking back until they were by the wall, away from people’s paths. They were on a busy street with a fair amount of people walking back, but Sanji was hard-pressed to pay attention to anyone else right now. 

“Yeah?” Ace asked. His hands were on Sanji’s hips, not squeezing or holding, just resting there.

“Yes. There might have been some loud wallowing and heartfelt declarations proclaimed from my living room floor. You know. Casually,” Sanji admitted, knowing fully well he sounded like a bozo and not even minding, too charmed by the way it made Ace smile at him.

It was no surprise when Ace leaned up to kiss him, a kiss that Sanji reciprocated with no hesitation. He felt a leg getting between his own and moved so that Ace could have more space, the two of them getting really into it when someone at their side coughed. Loudly.

“Not that this isn’t a lovely sight, but is it possible for you two to make out somewhere that isn’t the entrance to our coffee shop? Thank you.”

Sanji felt himself choke even as the apology started streaming from his mouth. “Right, of course. We are so sorry,” he said.

“We’re idiots,” Ace said. “And we’re leaving.”

The barista wiping the table next to theirs gave them a smile that said she was more amused than pissed off. A small consolation even as Sanji’s entire face heat up in shame.

He let Ace pull him away with a hand on his wrist, vouching to himself that he would come back and start leaving big tips for all the baristas as soon as his embarrassment passed. Then again, that might take a year or two, though. Maybe he could send Usopp on his behalf?

They walked for a couple of minutes in silence until they reached a quiet alley that Ace pulled them into, gently pressing Sanji into a wall again. “Sorry about that,” he said.

Sanji looked around and, seeing no one, pulled him for another kiss. “Don’t be.” Another kiss that they got lost into for a few minutes before Ace pulled back with a sigh.

“I have work in the afternoon, but I’m not leaving without your number this time.”

It was a couple more minutes before they could part for real, numbers exchanged and enough making out that Sanji knew for a fact he wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else for the day.

He returned home in a slight daze, with a text from Ace already waiting for him.

Ace <3   
  
**Ace:** I’m really really happy we got to meet again today   
  
**Ace:** And sorry for my brother, Sabo. He’s an idiot.   
  
**Ace:** I can’t wait to see you again <3   
  
**Sanji:** ahah dont worry, he was alright   
  
**Sanji:** i was really happy to see you too

He got more texts from Ace in the next couple of hours. At first they were just random thoughts like ‘My coworkers think I got hit on the head because I’ve been smiling too much apparently’ and ‘Just fixed a motor with only a socket wrench, hell yeah’. Sanji felt... weirdly flattered that Ace would take the time to message him about his day.

The short text messages soon developed into full conversations that only stopped when Sanji was at work, and even though he found himself taking more breaks than usual to check his phone and keep talking to Ace.

This was how he found out that Ace worked at one of the biggest auto-shops in the city, could fix almost anything mechanical, and had a Monster drinking phase in high school that had morphed into him drinking way more coffee than a regular person should. This was how he found out that Ace was funny and seemed to be surrounded by people who loved his company as much as he loved theirs.

This was how he learned about Ace’s brothers, Luffy and Sabo, who Ace seemed incredibly fond of despite him regularly complaining about how annoying they were. Sanji himself struggled to speak about his family, but he did tell Ace all about Usopp and Nami, and even a bit about Zeff, especially after he got yelled at.

Despite them regularly talking, their date plans didn’t actually come true for longer than Sanji would have liked. Not that he was complaining. Really.

“You’re totally complaining,” Usopp told him.

“I’m just _stating_ that I would like to go on a date with him soon. Texting is nice but…” Well it didn’t involve any making out for starters. Secondly, Sanji just wanted to _be_ with Ace. Breathe the same air, share the same laughter, be able to touch whenever he felt like it.

Instead he was in his apartment on a Friday night listening to his best friends be all rational and shit. Disgusting.

“But he’s busy with work and you don’t know how to talk about your feelings so you’d rather just avoid the topic and mope around instead.”

Sometimes, Sanji really regretted having best friends.

Alright, no, not even in the privacy of his own head could he say that and pretend he meant it. He did wish they would just let him commiserate in silence instead of hitting him with the truth, though. What was next? Suggesting he saw a therapist?

“I actually do think you should see a therapist,” Nami said in between mouthfuls of the clementine sorbet Sanji had brought back from work.

“Ugh,” was Sanji’s eloquent reply.

It was fine. He wasn’t a child anymore. He could deal with the fact that over a week had passed since he and Ace had last seen each other at the coffee shop and they hadn’t gotten one iota closer to scheduling a date. It was _fine._

And for once, his strong-headed denial actually served him well, because when Ace called mid-Saturday afternoon to apologize about how busy he’d been with work lately, Sanji was able to totally play it chill.

“I’m really, really sorry. I feel like I’m being a dick by constantly putting off our date, but it’s just been hell at work lately. Marco left on vacation and Thatch is out sick which means I’m having to take over a bunch of their work and reschedule everything else, which is no excuse for not being able to see you, I know, but I had to do overtime every day this week and today is actually the first day I get to leave on time but you probably already have plans or work.” Ace groaned. “I’m really sorry.”

If Sanji was an anime character, his heart would have beat out his chest at Ace’s long-winded, rambly and heartfelt apology for something he didn’t even need to be sorry for.

“It’s fine. Tell you what, I actually only had the lunch shift today so I’m free at night. You should come over for dinner. No pressure, no expectations. I’ll cook something nice and you can take a break.”

There was a slight pause before Ace chuckled. “That legit sounds heavenly right now. Are you sure? I’m only free after seven.”

“Seven is fine. I’ll text you the address. Do you have any allergies or food preferences?”

“Nah, I’ll eat just about anything. Thank you, by the way. I promise I’m gonna take you out on a proper date soon when things are back to normal at work.”

“Don’t thank me until you taste my food,” Sanji said. If there was one thing he could trust in, it was his cooking skills and he was ready to impress tonight.

As soon as the call was over, he opened the messaging app and texted Usopp.

Usopp !   
  
**Sanji:** what will it take for you to spend the night at Nami’s   
  
**Usopp:** profiteroles   
  
**Usopp:** like homemade   
  
**Usopp:** at least 50   
  
**Sanji:** cool, done deal, see you tomorrow   
  
**Usopp:** [thumbs up emoji]   
  
**Usopp:** go get ‘em tiger   
  
**Sanji:** dont call me that   
  
**Usopp:** yeah that's fair

As soon as the lunch shift was over and the kitchen was clean and ready for dinner, Sanji took off his apron and left without sparing anyone a goodbye. He took a detour on his way home to stop at his favorite gourmet supermarket, spending a small fortune on some extremely overpriced vegetables and prawns.

He tried to remember the last time he’d cooked dinner for anyone but Usopp and Nami or a patron at the restaurant and came up with… nothing. 

Well, no matter. Sanji was going to cook for Ace tonight and he was going to _impress_.

Dinner was one of his personal favorites, a lemon and basil prawn risoni with butter chicken vol-au-vents for starters and a creamy blueberry panna cotta for dessert. Altogether, the three different courses took the whole afternoon to cook, the main dish finished cooking just as Sanji’s doorbell rang. 

Sanji checked the time – only twenty minutes after seven – and took off his apron.

He was pleasantly surprised to find Ace standing at his doorstep holding a small bouquet of flowers and panting like he’d just run a marathon. He was wearing a crisp white shirt and black pants, both of which looked maybe a size too tight. Sanji would be lying if he said he didn’t stare. A lot.

“Did you run here?” 

“Didn’t wanna… be late…” Ace said between breaths, shoving the flowers at Sanji’s face. “These are for you. I hope you like them.”

“They’re lovely,” Sanji said, feeling his cheeks heat up as he blushed. “You can leave your shoes by the door. I’d give you a tour but this is kind of it.”

Sanji and Usopp’s apartment was what one could call cozy. The entrance opened right into the living room, which doubled as the dining room and kitchen since the whole area was just one big open space. The bedrooms and toilet were to the right in a small hallway and there was a small closet by the door filled with all their winter clothes and junk.

“Oh wow, it’s really nice,” Ace said as he took in the room, which did nothing to help Sanji’s poor blush.

He was happy Ace liked his place, though. It wasn’t much, but it was home. Usopp’s paintings covered most of their walls and there were enough blankets and pillows scattered around to cover a small army. Not to mention all the random knick-knacks they’d bought over the last year at different thrift stores.

“Thank you,” Sanji said. “Dinner is pretty much ready. Starters are already on the table.”

“You made starters? For me?” Ace asked, bounding over to the table.

Sanji wasn’t sure whether to be offended or flattered by that. He grabbed a jar they usually reserved for sangria and filled it with water for the flowers as he debated what to say. 

“Well, this is a date and I am a chef. Figured it would be fitting if I put in a bit of extra effort.” Was what he settled for. By the time he turned around, flowers in hand, Ace had his mouth full of vol-au-vents.

“These are really good,” Ace said after he finished swallowing. “Like, genuinely amazingly good.”

Sanji was just going to be a little tomato all night, wasn’t he? 

“I’m glad. I wasn’t sure what you like to drink but have fizzy wine, beer and some organic orange juice. Or water, if you’d rather have that.”

He hadn’t seen Ace drink anything at the club last week, which made him think it was possible Ace didn’t drink, period, which was obviously fine, but maybe Sanji should have gotten more than just orange juice? What if he didn’t like oranges? Shit, he was an idiot.

“Fizzy wine is fine, thank you.”

Sanji felt someone walk up behind him while he grabbed the wine glasses out the cabinet. When he turned around, Ace was right there, vol-au-vents crumbs around his mouth and a pleased smile on his face.

Without even thinking, Sanji put the glasses down and reached forward to brush the crumbs away.

“I’ve already tasted your food. That means I get to say thank you now, right?”

“Right,” Sanji said, right before Ace kissed him.

The kiss was softer than the one they’d shared at the club, and still it was just as warm, just as good. Sanji thought he could stay here forever, sunset streaming in through the open window, the scent of a delicious meal in the air and Ace in his arms, stroking his chest, learning him whole.

He wasn’t sure how long they spent kissing, but he felt dizzy by the time they parted and Ace himself looked a bit frazzled as well.

“Dinner. Huh.” Sanji took a minute to compose himself. “I made dinner. It’s gonna get cold.”

Ace grinned. “Can’t have that now, can we, babe?”

The only table at the apartment was small enough that they could play footsie under the table the whole time they ate, which they did. Ace made some rather explicit noises after the first bite into the risoni which had Sanji jump in his chair. It was hard to focus on the conversation at first, but eventually they fell into an easy rhythm, with Ace telling him about his work at the auto-shop and Sanji talking about what it was like being a chef.

“What made you wanna do it?” Ace asked.

Sanji thought back to his early days with his blood family. He’d always had a rough time with his family, but it hadn’t been terrible at the start, when mom was still alive. She was the one who cooked for the family and she always seemed so happy when Sanji offered to help.

“My mother – she always loved cooking. When I was young, it was one of those things we could do together and it would be like the rest of the world didn’t exist. It would just be the two of us in the kitchen. She taught me a lot, gave me a ton of cookbooks for my birthday when I first learned how to read.”

“She sounds really amazing. Were you guys close?”

Sanji looked down at his plate, finding it hard to look Ace in the eye while he shared some of his oldest secrets. “She passed when I was quite young but… yeah.”

“Not the rest of your family?” Ace asked, sounding almost apologetic, like he could already tell this topic was a sore one for Sanji.

“No, not them. I ran away from home when I was fifteen. Lived in shelters and couch surfed for a while. Got a job at the Baratie when I was sixteen and eventually the owner, Zeff, realized I was living in less than ideal situations and offered to take me in.”

“I’m glad that you found someone good. You deserve that,” Ace said, so resolute and sure Sanji didn’t have it in him to argue, even though most days he felt entirely undeserving of all the love and kindness he’d ever gotten.

“This is a really bad topic for a first date, I’m sorry. I’m being a total downer.”

“You’re fine,” Ace assured him, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “My own life story is… weirdly similar to yours. Ran away from home a bunch of times. Eventually got put into foster care. Met Luffy and Sabo and eventually they became my family.”

“You ever look back?” Sanji asked though he already knew the answer.

“Never looked back, never will. Do you?”

“No. Never. My dad tried to contact me two years ago so I changed my phone number and blocked him everywhere I could find. I believe family are the people you choose to love and care for, not your blood relatives.”

Ace squeezed his hand again. “I ain’t religious, but amen to that.”

After that, the conversation moved to lighter topics, like their favourite movies. Ace was big on action blockbuster and romantic comedies, while Sanji typically went for movies that featured cooking. They found a surprise common love in _Eat, Pray, Love_ and Sanji had no clue what that said about either of them.

“I don’t think I can eat another bite,” Ace said after he finished going back for thirds. Sanji had seen some big eaters at the restaurant, but he had to say he was rather impressed by just how much Ace could eat. Then again, he’d always heard guys who worked out a lot needed to eat more, and Ace’s job sounded quite demanding.

“Ah, that’s a shame. I made dessert, but I guess I can save it for–”

“Dessert?” Ace’s head snapped up as if he had just been pinched.

“Blueberry panna cotta. It’s in the fridge.”

“Well, you know what they say! There’s always space for dessert.”

At this point, Sanji was convinced Ace had an endless stomach and didn’t question it. He brought out the panna cotta in the jars he’d thrifted just last month and they ate on the couch, their legs intertwined so there was no space between them.

It wasn’t long before they were done with the panna cotta and Sanji was all but lying on Ace, the two of them getting lost in each other’s mouths. Sanji gripped the stupidly tight shirt over Ace’s shoulders while Ace’s own hands seemed full of restless energy and gripped him everywhere, squeezing and pulling until the two of them were grinding on the couch.

Sanji felt himself on fire, all the nerve endings on his body pulled taunt and raw with want. Every little thing Ace did seemed to turn him on further, as if all of him were weak spots. When Ace’s mouth finally reached his neck and bit down on the same spot he bit the night they met, Sanji was embarrassed to say he _keened_ , a moan coming out of him strictly out of its own volition.

Sanji wanted more – god, he wanted everything – but he also knew he had to put a brake on things now or he’d risk making a mistake.

“We should stop,” he said, putting a hand on Ace’s chest to push him away even though it was hardly needed. Ace gave him space the second he said stop. Sanji was quick to explain, “I mean, for tonight. I really like you and I have a bad habit of rushing things and regretting it. I don’t wanna regret anything with you.”

He wanted to take his time knowing Ace. Wanted more dates and long conversations and nights together like this. He knew having sex right now wouldn’t take that away, but. Still. He just wanted to be careful, for once.

As Sanji spoke, a smile started to stretch across Ace’s face that grew bigger with each spoken word.

“I get that. No rushing. That’s fine, I can do slow.” Even as he spoke, Ace’s hips moved against Sanji’s, as if he couldn’t help himself despite his best attempts.

“Really? You don’t seem the type to do anything at less than full speed,” Sanji said as his own hips moved back against Ace’s. Brain and body didn’t always align.

“I can do slow for _you_. I’m interested in more than just sex. If you say not tonight then –” Ace said flopped down on the couch and finally lied still. “Not tonight.”

If Sanji thought he had a big, embarrassing crush on Ace before, it was nothing like the one he had now. He’d gotten so used to being with guys who only wanted him for sex that he’d never quite realized he could actually have something like this. Caring. Warm. _Good._

“You’re like a real-life prince charming, aren’t you?” Sanji asked, already reconsidering his stance.

“I’m really not,” Ace laughed. “I just like you too. Plus, I figure I’m fine with waiting if the end reward is you.”

It was such a corny thing to say that Sanji would have cringed had it come from anyone else, yet from Ace it only made him still shiver in anticipation.

“Very charming,” Sanji whispered, pressing a light kiss to Ace’s lips and feeling them part in a grin at the admission. 

“I should get going then,” Ace said after a few more minutes of kissing, though he made no move to get up from his sprawl on the couch. Sanji himself wasn’t in a much better position, most of him lying Ace rather than the cushions. 

“You can spend the night if you’d like. We can just sleep,” Sanji leaned in for a kiss, unable to help himself. “I’ll make you pancakes in the morning.”

Ace chuckled, running his hands through Sanji’s hair before he pulled him for another kiss. “Darling, you had me at _you can spend the night_.” 

It took a few more kisses for them to get up and leave the living room. They left the plates and cutlery in the sink despite Ace’s insistence that he could wash them.

“You’re my date. You’re not washing the dishes,” Sanji told him.

Ace pressed him up against the counter and kissed him firmly on the lips. It was like they were drawn to one another as moths to flame. Sanji himself struggled to keep his hands to himself despite his resolution to not take things further.

“You’ve cooked me the best dinner of my life. Washing the dishes is the least I can do,” Ace whispered.

Sanji wasn’t having it, but he was also not in the mood to refuse Ace. He wondered if that would become common between them. “Tomorrow then. They can soak during the night.”

Ace grinned. “Deal.”

He lent Ace a toothbrush and towel, letting him get ready for bed first while he tidied up the living room. If he was honest with himself, he was feeling a little nervous now that he was by himself, which was truly ridiculous. He’d done a lot more than just sleeping with far scarier people, but still. 

Sanji took his time getting ready after Ace, deciding that a long shower would help him unwind. What he didn’t account for was for his mind to get a bit too creative, thoughts escaping to Ace time and time again. What he looked like right now. What he _could_ look like, laying on Sanji’s bed, nobody but them in the apartment and no other places to be, people to talk to, things to do. It was just them tonight.

By the time he got out of the bathroom wearing a grey cotton shirt and an old pair of boxers, Ace was already waiting for him in bed. He laid over the sheets in just his boxers, his arms stretched above his head, looking for all the world like he belonged nowhere else. Sanji froze by the door, unable to take his eyes off Ace. He really had freckles all over. Even from where he was, Sanji could see them, layered over his shoulders and arms, running down his chest and even a few on his legs. He was beautiful. Handsome. And he was smiling up at Sanji like he knew damn well Sanji was eating him up with his eyes and he was more than fine with it.

The sight of him was like the last stone needed to start an avalanche. Sanji felt his resolve to stay away crumble as he became overwhelmed with a sudden and terrible _want_ , the kind he hardly ever let himself indulge in. He had grown up with so little that over the years he had gotten used to never asking for more. He’d taught himself that if he didn’t want things, he wouldn’t feel the eventual disappointment that came with rejection.

He had thought it safer, to only go after things he didn’t care for, to never actually let himself bask in his desire. But now – now he wanted.

He walked over to the bed and climbed over it, crawling until he could straddle Ace’s hips. He took off his shirt before he lowered his head until he could press a kiss to Ace’s collarbones, licking and nibbling as he moved down Ace’s chest.

“Thought you didn’t want to do anything tonight,” Ace whispered as his hands moved to cradle Sanji’s face.

“Changed my mind.” Sanji kissed one of Ace’s nipples, biting it without any real strength. “This okay?”

“Babe, you don’t even have to ask.”

Sanji spent a couple more minutes laying kisses and lovebites all over Ace’s chest, enjoying how Ace shivered beneath him, his hands occasionally clenching when Sanji reached a sensitive spot. 

“What would you like?” Sanji asked as he pulled back up for a kiss.

“Anything you wanna do, sweetheart, I’m game.”

“I know but –” Sanji hesitated, but so far Ace and he had always been on the same page, and he really did want this. “Tell me.”

Ace seemed to get it, his cocky smirk shifting into a more understanding smile. “I would love to spread you out, get you all worked for me and then fuck you, real nice and slow. How do you feel about that?”

“That sounds good,” Sanji said, already a little breathless.

It wasn’t long before Ace had him just like that, spread out on the bed in a way that made him feel too exposed, which turned him on even as he tried to hide his face behind his hands.

“No, come on. Don’t hide from me, love. I wanna see you,” Ace said, grabbing Sanji’s wrist to pull it away, pushing it against the bed while his other continued to finger Sanji way past need.

“I’m good. Ace, fuck, Ace.” Sanji moaned as Ace’s fingers curved, pressed right where Sanji wanted it and then not goddamn relenting for a second.

“I know, babe. Sorry, but you’re just too sweet to look at,” Ace said.

“You can still look while you’re fucking me, you know?” Sanji said, proud of how snarky he sounded considering all he wanted to do is turn them around and ride Ace into the sunset and beyond.

Ace chuckled at his comment but finally took out his fingers, making Sanji sigh, his eyes fluttering shut for a second.

"You're so fucking pretty. Do you know that, babe? After last week I couldn't stop thinking about how you good looked with that hickey I gave you. You’re gorgeous."

Ace ripped the condom wrapper open with his teeth and though Sanji couldn’t see it from his position, it wasn’t long before he felt pressure at his entrance. He felt Ace enter slowly – too fucking slowly for how keyed up Sanji was – but it wasn’t long before he picked up the pace and started fucking him in earnest.

"Fuck – Ace." Sanji wasn't sure what he wanted to ask for, if it was for Ace to shut up or keep talking, so no words came out, all of them choked in his mouth as he got his brains fucked out of him.

"You're just the prettiest goddamn person I ever laid eyes on. The way you blush, your body… Jesus, you should see yourself right now. Finer than any heavenly creation I ever seen."

“I’m not,” Sanji argued, although why he was bothering was beyond him. Words escaped him right now, all of his senses overwhelmed while Ace seemed to pick up steam with every thrust he gave.

“And look at how you take me. Beautiful, spread out like this, just like how I’d imagined. Hasn’t been a day these past two weeks where I haven’t thought about you.”

"Ace. I'm gonna — I'm gonna come."

Ace leaned down to whisper into his ear. "Can I bite you? I know I shouldn't, but I wanna leave a mark on you, doll."

Fucking christ, Sanji was going to die soon. "Yes, god—" and then Ace bit him, right in the corner where his neck met his shoulder, and Sanji was coming harder than he'd ever done in his life.

His orgasm hit him with such strength that he actually blacked out for a couple of seconds. When he came to again, Ace was still hard inside of him and Ace himself was shaking, as if it was taking everything in him not to move.

“You can keep going,” Sanji said.

Ace’s eyes snapped up to his. “You sure?” he asked.

Sanji nodded. The overstimulation of being fucked right after coming was almost too much. He couldn’t stop any of the noises coming from his mouth or how his whole body spasmed at every few thrusts, begging simultaneously for more and less. Through it all, he couldn’t stop staring at Ace, how intense he looked, like he wanted to burn into his memory every single moment of theirs.

It wasn’t long before Ace was coming, holding Sanji’s hips so tight that Sanji knew he was going to leave bruises. Though he hadn’t come twice, Sanji was still breathless and tired. When Ace discarded the used condom and flopped down on the bed next to him, he didn’t even think to suggest they showered. They could deal with all the grossness tomorrow.

“Not to put you on the spot,” Ace said, “but I’m pretty sure you just ruined me for anyone else.”

Sanji laughed. “I was the one that got fucked six ways to Sunday. Pretty sure I hit a new plane of existence for a few seconds there.”

Ace laid down over Sanji, leg and arm thrown over his body and head resting on his chest. “Any regrets?” he asked.

Though mind-blowing sex wasn’t enough to take down Sanji’s insecurities, it was enough at least that he felt safe in saying, “No, none.”

He fell asleep like that, Ace holding him tight and the sheets pulled low on their naked bodies, so he was a little surprised to wake up in the morning to an empty bed.

Sanji sat still half-asleep and looked around, feeling panic claw at his throat until he heard laughter coming from the living room. Another few seconds of searching discovered Ace’s shirt and pants still laying over Sanji’s laundry chair. 

Panic assuaged, Sanji crawled out of bed and walked straight to the bathroom, where he saw the litany of lovebites and hickeys Ace had put on him. There were… a lot. It seemed Ace had a bit of a vampire streak, while Sanji himself was as pale as they came and bruised like a peach. Though he knew work was gonna be a pain in the ass tonight with all the ribbing he was sure to receive, he would be lying if he said he was upset.

He would even go as far as saying that he liked the marks. Well. The ones beneath his neck anyway.

Sanji stopped by his closet to grab the biggest hoodie he could find, which was a faded black from too many washes and about three sizes too big on his slender frame. He walked to the living room to find Usopp and Ace chatting like they were the best of friends already. A quick look at the clock told him it was past eleven already, which explained why Usopp was back and looking very smug. Bastard.

“You two are cheery in the morning,” he commented with all the energy and vigour of someone who hadn’t had a single cup of coffee yet and was strongly contemplating death. Usopp had always been Loud with a capital L and it seemed Ace was cheerful in the mornings. Possibly he was even a morning person himself. Terrible.

“Sleeping Beauty is up! Good morning,” Usopp said. Sanji flipped him off.

“Good morning,” Ace repeated, softer and quieter than Usopp as if he could tell already that Sanji couldn’t deal with loud noises in the morning. He was wearing Sanji’s discarded pyjama shirt and a pair of shorts he must have stolen from Sanji’s closet and he was, in no uncertain terms, the best thing Sanji had ever seen.

Ignoring the fact that Usopp was probably watching them like a hawk and saving all this as material for future blackmail or an embarrassing wedding toast, Sanji walked up to Ace and kissed the top of his head.

“Morning,” he said, feeling tender and loved and too sleepy to be anxious.

He left Usopp and Ace on the couch by themselves, heading towards the kitchen space where he discovered all the dishes from last night all washed and hung up to dry. A pair of arms wrapped around his torso a few seconds later.

“I called in a favour with one of my co-workers today. They’re taking my first shift so I only have to be at work after lunch which means–” Ace’s hands sneaked under Sanji’s shirt, fingernails scratching skin in a way that made Sanji shiver from head to toe. “–I’m free all morning.”

Even though Ace couldn’t see him, Sanji smiled. He took a moment to wipe the goofy grin off his face before he turned around to kiss him. “Pancakes first and then back to bed?” he asked after they parted, noticing Usopp had already left to give them some privacy. He was going to get the profiteroles of his lifetime for this.

Ace kissed his neck. “Pancakes first and then back to bed,” he agreed.

“I already ate breakfast, so I guess I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone. For now,” Usopp said, making Sanji smile.

Sometimes – just sometimes – it was as easy as that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's Note:**

> huge thank you to [kite](https://skypiea.tumblr.com/) for the beta read and [gino](https://twitter.com/lilfishsong) for the inspiration for the title and a lil poem you'll get in chapter two.
> 
> find me on [tumblr](https://gisewaaa.tumblr.com/post/620108513336868866/chapter-1-of-my-acesan-fic-is-out-5207w-and-teen) / [twitter](https://twitter.com/gisewaaa) @ gisewaaa


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